Woof to Wash: Bark-activated washing machine lets service dogs do the dirty work

UK-based appliance firm JTM Service is aiming to make life a little easier for individuals who rely on service dogs to get through their day-to-day life. These highly-trained dogs have are able to perform all sorts of remarkable tasks for their owners, and now, they can add doing laundry to that impressive list of tasks thanks to the Woof to Wash washing machine.

Some service dogs are already trained to perform tasks such as stripping beds, removing clothes from the machine, and filling laundry baskets, but since dogs are not designed to push buttons and turn knobs, actually turning on the machine was a task they were unable to perform. With that in mind, Inventor John Middleton of JTM came up with the idea to let the dog bark to turn on the machine.

In addition to the bark to turn on feature, a low-set button specifically meant to be pushed with a paw to open the door is included, allowing the dog to remove the clothes when the load is complete. The machine has only one cycle, and it automatically dispenses the right amount of detergent.

Right now the company only has the prototype, which has been developed in partnership with well known manufacturer Miele. The results are demonstrated in the video below. No timeframe has yet been given for when the company intends bring Woof to Wash to market.